Robyn's Wanderings

Sunglasses required for Himalayan hillsides

“Put your sunglasses on, because you ain’t going home till the morning comes.“ Frank Sinatra

Yes, the blog has been quiet for a while and hibernating much like our blogger in Toronto, Nicola Arnold. Luckily both the blog and our Toronto-based writer are back!

And what could be better to bring her back? Well spring and the sun of course. How is she going to see it? Well maybe some sunnies? Or perhaps a pair of aviators? You’ll just have to read and find out:

Clocks have changed, snow has melted, layers are unraveling, and sunshine is creeping out. And in my case, eyes are squinting.

I said adieu to my favourite sunglasses in the fall, and not just because it was wintertime. I inadvertently cut short their lifespan. One fall day in October I swung my legs out of bed and stood up. With a resounding CRUNCH (or was it just a tiny snap?), I broke my beloved red sunglasses in one swift step. Darn it!!

Now, as Canada creeps out of a wintry hibernation, I’m realizing I need to hit the shops to find another pair. For a few snowy month, who needs sunglasses? Granted there are, of course, sunny days that break up the monotony of a white winter. Then there’s the occasional winter getaway to a tropical (or sub-tropical ie. Bermuda) destination. Or even ski trips where sunglasses are required. But overall, lack of warmth = lack of sunglasses.

The French Alps, sunny side up

RIP spectacles. No, they were not expensive nor designer. No, it was not the end of the world. Replaceable of course, but they were just the best glasses I’d had in awhile and had their benefits too. It was a memorable buy – a 2-for-1 deal that I shared with my friend, buying at the same time cupcakes and enjoying a lazy spring day eating cupcakes in the park with our new summer accessories. Colourful red frames. Reflective lens making for fun photography. Sat in place without nerdy adjustments. Bought days before my 6-week trip to India (with temperatures soaring in the 40′s Celcius and sunshine beating down… much needed protection!).

We got 2 for $25... sunglasses of course, not cupcakes!

“My look is attainable. Women can look like Audrey Hepburn by flipping out their hair, buying the large sunglasses, and the little sleeveless dresses.“ Audrey Hepburn 

Let’s take our sunglasses and make them internationally & culturally cool:

- if I had travelled to Australia or South Africa, I may be sporting some sunnies
- if I was still gallivanting around Paris or Chambery, I would be saying mes lunettes de soleil
- if I was in the US of A, I’d be rocking some shades
- if I wanted to rock out to 1980′s music, I’d would belt out Corey Hart’s “sunglasses at night“.
- if I wanted to be trendy I’d have Aviators, or Ray-Bans, or some hipster style…

The kids definitely enjoyed rocking their sunnies as well

Where had my sunglasses had the pleasure of accompanying me on my journeys? Well, bought in Hamilton, Ontario, they were then transported to the sunny beaches near Hamilton, Bermuda. Their first main trip included several weeks in India, proving to be a great photo-taking device for Himalayan hillside sunsets and Taj Mahal, amongst other sights. Next, their adventures led them to Scotland, Germany and Croatia for some summer sunshine and family/friend reunions. Finally, they settled in Toronto where they ended their days prematurely.

“It’s 106 miles to Chicago. We got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses! ………. HIT IT!!“ Blues Brothers movie

Visiting Taj Mahal when it was 49°C (120°F)

As the sun is here to stay, it’s time to go hunting for a new pair of sunglasses. The sunlight hours are extended and new adventures await…

Driving to.......Quebec, City

For nine hours. This photo is what I watched for almost nine hours.

Oh, sorry. I should also add that this was during a good patch. Why? Well as you can see…you can see! As luck would have it, almost as soon as we hit Montreal the snow/sleet/hail (ok, not hail but the other two) started pelting us with all of their might.

What does a Bermudian driving in this kind of weather do? Well defer to their Canadian travel buddy of course! One too many close calls with big trucks and I was done.

But I get ahead of myself.

As you may recall from my immigration posting a few days ago, I had left the sanctuary of Bermuda and it’s 70 degree Fahrenheit weather to travel to Toronto for the Christmas to New Years break. Not satisfied with six days in Toronto, my boyfriend and I decided to also fit-in a three day trip to Quebec City.

Why not, right? Wrong. This is the tale of the three day trip that really should not have been and it all started at the rental counter.

Patience is a virtue that I don’t often exhibit, but I calmly waited as the couple in front of the couple in front of us took 40 minutes to organize a car they had already booked. I even waited as the next couple took 20 minutes to organize their car.

But when it came to our turn and the female from the very first couple decided to return to the counter, interrupt our conversation and ask something trivial about GPS (if you are too lazy to open a map then you most definitely should not be cutting in front of me), I had, had enough.

“Sorry you were saying we could put two drivers onto the car rental?”

“Uh…” said the embarrassed salesman, “Yes. Sorry mam, I need to finish with these customers first.”

Yeah you do, but “first female” did not seem impressed. Oh well.

Seven hours into the drive and we could see the home stretch until Montreal raised its roadworks and complicated the entire situation. An hour, multiple U turns and the snow started…..oh crap.

Nevertheless, with sore bums and tired eyes we finally find our resting place. It appears to be a cozy, little inn that is close to restaurants and shops.

The only problem? At 9.30 p.m. the only place nearby that would serve us was the grocery store where the lonely workers are sweeping the mud covered floor for the millionth time. No fear, we can picnic.

At 3.30 a.m. I realized that something had been picnicing on my legs! Bed bugs.

Now, I have traveled around the world. I have stayed in hostels in Thailand that cost me $2 a night. I slept in a tent for four nights in Patagonia.

And yet the time that I get attacked by bugs? Well that has to be in Quebec City in a place that cost about $175 a night!

The worst part? The night manager claimed he could not move us to a new room that night! Luckily, the bugs had been satiated and I was too tired after nine hours of driving to stay awake.

In the morning it was a matter of negotiating with the manager and luckily the previous evening was forgotten as we entered the snowland called Quebec City!

Wandering the snowy land!

I could not feel my toes…..but it was beautiful.

We wandered through the Plains of Abraham where the British and French had some of their first clashes in 1759-1760. There are two towers (Martello 1 and 2) which we were told would give us insight into the military clashes.

Both were closed.

Never fear. It was a cool view of the St. Lawrence River that passes-by Quebec City and it was easy enough to slosh through the snow to the Citadel. A key part of the city’s fortifications, we clearly found the wrong entrance to the Citadel, so instead we finished the walkway that continues along the river and expelled us in front the of famous Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.

Walking along the citadel!

Luckily there was a coffee shop (read: Starbucks) right there so we could jump in and defrost our feet before continuing on. Yes, I had to do it. I had to have my Starbucks, but so did my fingers!

My Frontenac!

Wandering on….well sloshing on, we landed across the street in the Fort Museum. This was going to be a slow trip. The Fort Museum, Robyn?

Yes. Actually it was quite interesting and one of the most hilarious little shows I have seen in a while. Fake smoke exhaled from toy guns, little lights flickered from boats in the middle of battle and the history of Britain’s win over New France…but don’t worry they were such ardent culturalists that they kept the French.

Anyway, enough of the history lesson. Now it was time for lunch.

Lunch!

We found a pub and a Texan couple to keep us company as we defrosted and set-out again onto the streets of Quebec City.

After stuffing ourselves it was time to find a different Quebec….bye, bye the unwarm welcome and on to……Well you’ll have to come back to see what we found (I promise it gets better).

Travel bureaucracy

Almost every country has it. It?

In Vietnam, for example, I was told by a guide that if he wanted to leave the country on a holiday he had to have a substantial amount of money in the bank (and proof of it), a good job to return to and apply to his government for a pass.

In India, I was told of a boyfriend trying to go to Canada to visit his girlfriend. Though he applied for a visa, he was denied.

What is this? I am talking about travel bureaucracy. It’s everywhere and it’s not only about leaving a country, but also entering.

For example when I tried to travel between Laos and Cambodia only to be required to pay  an “entry fee” to every man standing along the border in a uniform! Ok, so it was only US $1 per man, but still annoying.

And Bermuda? Well my home country is no different. Seemingly ridiculous procedures surround entering and leaving the country too.

I had always heard some stories, but on my recent trip to Toronto I actually got to be on the receiving end. I’m such a lucky girl!

I will give the Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport customs guy one excuse: it was Christmas Day and I am sure he did not want to work, but lots of people have to work on Christmas. Still, I will give him that small leeway for his response:

“Hi, I need to register my camera,” I said.

“Do you have proof you bought it in Bermuda?” said the small man in a crisp blue uniform as he poked his head out of the barely-wedged-open door.

“Uh, well it was a birthday present, so no I don’t have a receipt.”

“Well, I’m not saying you are lying, but we will not give you a registration. Too many people sneak items into Bermuda.”

Bermuda might be beautiful, but.....

OK, I should explain the policy. Bermudian residents are required to purchase items in Bermuda or be prepared to pay duty of 35% on items acquired abroad.

To avoid the duty, we can register electronic devices (usually the only items we are taking that are the most expensive and hardest to prove you had before you left) before leaving the Island. This registration is delivered in the highly modern form of a yellow slip of paper!

Yes, there is no way you will ever lose that (sarcasm is free).

The yellow paper, however, is not a minor detail. Instead it is a Bermudian resident’s “get-out-of-35% duty” card!!!! Can you imagine?

Why, you ask do we have to pay such a high price? Well, the argument is that if government increase the price of purchasing items abroad, Island residents will be more likely to “Buy Bermuda” (I have my opinion about this economic policy, but that is a different blog entirely).

I have two problems with this checking system:

1. when an item is purchased in Bermuda, no one issues a yellow piece of paper. One might think that is important especially for, I don’t know, a camera which is almost definitely going to leave the island and one that might also be a present that the receiver should never know the price of…..I’m just saying.

2. if I do buy abroad (gasp!) and pay duty on the item, there is no way to show that the payment I make (all 35% of it) directly relates to a camera, etc…. So when I turn-up to customs at a later date there is no way to prove that, if I have not bought my item in Bermuda, that I paid duty on it. (I would show you a picture, but these are such high commodities, an extra form is just not possible to get!)

Instead, the form groups together all goods in a particular category i.e. clothing and footwear, and we pay the duty on the total amount. There is nowhere to actually list the items you are declaring and therefore, no way to reference the duty you paid on them. i.e. the customs’ officer was asking me for something I literally could not produce.

Get-out-of-Jail yellow customs' slips!

Let’s be honest here too, if a traveler manages to outsmart the bureaucratic process that is installed to just put more money in government’s coffers and sneaks their goods into Bermuda…..can we really penalize them at a later date? I don’t think so.

Tourists, you are not exempt! You can also be subject to these problems, especially if you are visiting residents. Travellers are allowed a $30.00 excemption on goods they plan to bring into Bermuda.

Bermudians? Well the first $100 for each household is free and then duty kicks in and so do the yellow slips!

So what happened with my recent trip, you ask….well I had to leave the Island with my camera bought in Bermuda (there was no way to send it home before the flight) and prayed that when I returned to the Island I could outsmart the process.

Did I? Well, you’ll have to come back tomorrow to see what happened…….oh and for some fun travels to Quebec City!

From Bermuda to......

We have to say: “Welcome Back!” to our wanderer Emily Ross. She’s been busy getting back into school so….we can cut her slack! 

I’m so glad she touched this topic….Bermudians around the world. For such a small island, we manage to get around…..the world. Emily we’re happy to have you back!

I am a disgrace. Apologies, bloggers. I should stop get off of http://kimjongillookingatthings.tumblr.com/ and type my blog that I’ve been planning for weeks.

Wherever you go, you will find a Bermudian. Or someone who knows a Bermudian. Or someone who’s been to Bermuda. Used to work in Bermuda. Their brother married a Bermudian. They like the rum.

We are everywhere. Bristol (where I’m studying at the moment) is overrun with Bermudians. I’ll never forget that day in first year where I ran into three Bermudians in the space of 20 minutes – one in the library, one outside the library and one in the gym (which is next to the library). We all have stories like that – you’re on holiday, escaping the rock…and BAM. Bermudian.

For an island filled with 64,000 Bermudians, we can be found all around the world

Even studying in Hong Kong, another Bermudian (a very good friend from high school) also was on exchange there at the same time!

In the middle of Times Square in New York, we ran into my mother’s violin student.

In a mall in Hong Kong, a friend’s parents (who used to live in Bermuda) happened to stroll past and spot us in line for the movie theatre.

In Johannesburg airport, of all places!

In the middle of Waterloo Station in London I ran into a family from home who were going to see Rebecca Faulkenberry (another Bermudian, of course!) in a West End show! The friend I was with was not only amazed that out of all the people in London we ran into some Bermudians I knew, but also that we were name-dropping other Bermudians!

Bermuda's beautiful hibiscus!

So I asked my readers: Where have you unexpectedly run into a Bermudian whilst travelling?

Jenny 

- In London, outside of the Palladium

- In malls in Toronto

- ‘Sitting on Primrose Hill last summer, a man came up to me with a cassava assuming my friends and I wouldn’t know what it was and I was all like “that’s a cassava.” And it turns out after some chat and bafflement that he was Bermudian’

- ‘On my birthday in New Zealand I ran into this guy who’d spent like four summers in Bermuda and knew all of the people who I hang out with…And he was like really close with my brother back in the day.’

Sarah

- On the stairs at South Kensington tube station

- When a Bermudian friend visited ‘we went to a nightclub near my house and when she was holding out her ID some guy behind us in the queue shouted “BERMUDA BERMUUUUUDAAAA”. Turns out he used to work over there.’

- ‘My brother James was running the Chicago marathon in his Bermuda vest and some girl screamed “WOOOOOOO BERMUDA! I’M A BERMUDIAN!” and they high fived as he ran past.’

- ‘My mum ran into some Bermudians in a Pyramid in Egypt.’

Bermuda's sunset!

Chelsea P

-  In a hospital room in Baltimore

Paige

                – ‘I was serving a woman in the cafe in Highgate woods, and at the end of her meal she saw my surname on the bill and asked me if I knew Paige Hallett, to which I replied, “quite well, actually” [She is Paige Hallett] and we had a nice little chat; apparently she spends half her year in Bermuda and the other in London, and she knows my sister quite well.’

                – ‘Have had quite a few Bermudian kids in the cafe. One little boy even dared to tell me that MSA was better than BHS! Needless to say he got a very pathetic scoop of ice cream that day.’

                – ‘In accent and dialect classes in LIPA [The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts] I found a Bermudian accent recording on IDEA (an accent database) and played it for the class…Imagine my surprise when I actually listened to the recording. Halfway through the recording I yelled, “THAT’S DEVAUNE!”

Adrienne

                - In a market in Florence – ‘Turned out she lived right by the villa we were renting!’

Nicholas L

                – ‘In La Paz, Bolivia whilst mountain biking down death road.’

Euan

                - Llunenberg, Canada in a shopping mall. ‘He may have been the only other living person in that town, it was empty.’

Miriam

                -‘One of my favourite customers in the underground, and some random Bermudians I didn’t actually know but got talking to on a bus in New York…’

Nadia

                – ‘Coming out of a chocolate shop in Berne, Switzerland and bumped into one of my sister’s former classmates. It’s the timing that astounds me. We had only stopped to have lunch and to keep on travelling to Beaune in France.’

                – ‘Another time was in that venerated establishment, Mickey-D’s, in the wee hours of the morning in Leicester Square, London – when the guy in front of me ordered his meal there was no mistaking the accent. I hadn’t been home in ages at that point and it was music to my ears. We chatted briefly. It was very amusing because he was gobsmacked I recognised the accent as I sounded English to him.’

Fishing in Bermuda, but they could be in.......

Robyn

                – ‘In a bar on the side of a mountain in Zermatt, Switzerland! And, to top it off, she was a colleague!’

Chelsea M

                – ‘In the Vatican!’

                – ‘Tube stations in London, of course.’

Jack

                - In JJB Sports in Manchester

                -Disneyland!

Karriem

- Eaton Centre in Toronto

- In a Guelph nightclub and at a Guelph bus station – ‘That was super random, being that I only went to Guelph once.’

Nicholas H

                – At the Olympics in Greece

                – At the Commonwealth Games in Italy

                – In a variety of pubs in Manchester, Edinburgh

Ben

                – At an optician’s in London

                – At a pub in Euston

                – ‘There’s one in my uni course in the year below me. I didn’t realise until a guy from the course came down to Bermuda and I recognised him…and thus discovered a fellow Bermudian law student at Kings.’

Kyle

                – In the Topman shop at Westfield

Rebecca

                – UB40 concert in Southampton

Matthew

                – Eaton Centre and Yonge Street in Toronto.

                – University of Toronto campus

                – In the crowd at a parade in Toronto

Johnny

                – In the Ramada Hotel in Atlanta. ‘Doorman, slight accent, called him out on it.’

The end of the harvest. It must be time for.....Thanksgiving!

“What do you do for Thanksgiving?”

“Well, I’m from Bermuda.”

“Oh, so what do you do in Bermuda for Thanksgiving?”

I gave up.

Tomorrow, Americans will be sitting around their living rooms eating turkey and talking about what they are thankful for.

It’s a yearly tradition for the United States that comes complete with the Macy’s Day parade in New York City and pumpkin pie.

But what I have found, is that many Americans forget is that not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, hence the intro question, or that not everyone celebrates the holiday at the end of November.

For those who are not American…do you know where it started? According to the History Channel, the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast. In 1863, the celebration became the first national holiday thanks to President Abraham Lincoln and was to be held each November.

Now, it is celebrated with sweet corn, turkey, sweet potatoes, apple pie and gravy (not all in that order!) and even the largest parade, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade completed with balloon animals.

America’s Northern neighbour? Canadians? Well, their Thanksgiving happens on the second Monday of October and recognizes the end of the harvest season.

Like the Americans, Canadians also enjoy turkey and all of the Fall vegetables they can find with their families. This has been carrying-on since 1957 when Canadian Parliament declared: “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.”

One of the best know celebrations in Canada during this time of year? The Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest is an annual nine-day festival that is based on the German Oktoberfest. It starts the Monday before Canadian Thanksgiving and runs until the Saturday in the twin cities of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

There are an estimated 750,000 to 1,000,000 people every year! And a few even stay to see the largest Thanksgiving parade in Canada in the same place!

Bermuda? Well, we do not really have a thanksgiving per se. I suppose the closest we have to one time of the year where everyone comes together is Cup Match.

According to CURE’s publication, “Emancipation Day – A Day for Reconciliation & Reflection”, Cup Match was born from friendly cricket matches and celebrations to mark emancipation from slavery. In 1902, the cricket celebrations became even more official when the east and west ends of the island raised funds for a trophy to award at the end of the matches.

Take a swim in Bermuda over Cup Match

In 1947, Cup Match transformed again with the Thursday and Friday closest to August 1 officially named Emancipation day and Somers Day respectively. Emancipation Day to mark the end of slavery in Bermuda and Somers Day to remember Admiral Sir George Somers who colonized Bermuda in 1609. Now, Cup Match is filled with commemoration ceremonies, cricket, but also boating, beaches and definitely parties! Thankful? I think so, but let me know if you agree in the comments section below.

Sure we Bermudians, Americans and Canadians have held our traditions for a while, but there are other countries that have created their own type of Thanksgiving.

In Grenada, for example, a day of Thanksgiving is observed on October 25 and marks the anniversary of the 1983 Operation Urgent Fury, a US led military invasion of the Caribbean island. Grenada consists of about 100,000 people and sits about 100 miles above Venezuela. It also became independent from Britain in 1974, however, in 1979 the Leftist New Jewel Movement seized power and in 1983 an internal struggle ended with the revolutionary Prime Minister Maurice Bishop being deposed and murdered.

The invasion on October 25th, 1983 also had troops from Jamaica and the Regional Security System to help! The government was then headed by Governor-General Paul Scoon until elections were held.

Is that thanksgiving? Well, perhaps not like the Americans envision it, but in Grenada ceremonies are held during this time to give thanks, so I think it fits.

Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti i dan hrvatskih branitelja or Victor and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders, if you must know in English. Yes, Croatia has its own Thanksgiving too.

It is a public holiday and is held as a memorial to the War of Independence. It is also held on August 5, annually.

Why?

Well, on that date in 1995, the Croatian Army secured the city of Knin, which essentially ended the Republic of Serbian Krajina, a self-proclaimed Serb entity in Croatia.

Because of the reason for the day, it only makes sense that most of the celebrations are centred in Knin where there are festivities from Mass and wreaths laid in honor of those who died in the war as well as, parades and concerts.

On that day, the Croatian flag is also lifted on the Knin fortress (just in case anyone is confused as to who that day is about)!

Celebrating around the world!

Other countries tend to also have a “Thanksgiving” around the end of their harvest seasons. In China? This is called the August Moon Festival and is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. But instead of Apple Pie, there are mooncakes, which are made with sweet bean-paste filling and golden brown flaky skin.

In the South of India, they celebrate the Pongal harvest festival, which is named after a sweet rice dish and takes places on January 14th and lasts for three days. The celebrations vary by days and regions, but neighbours generally come together to feast and give thanks to a hearty harvest.

As you travel the world, these thanking festivals can be seen in their variations, but generally focus on food and recognizing family, friends and gratefulness.

Is Cup Match our version? You tell me on my website www.robynswanderings.com and return for next week’s column: being thankful I could travel and learn ten very important lessons.

Until next week I say: Do videnja.

“The Buddha whimsically pointed out that seeking happiness in one’s material desires is as absurd as “suffering because a banana tree will not bear mangoes.” – Rolf Potts in Vagabonding, An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel. 

Chilling in Thailand......in an economical way

You enjoying that coffee? Do you know what that $2 you used to buy it means?

To me, at least?

Probably not.

Well, let me explain. That $2 coffee means a night in Thailand! Yes, Thailand and I did not mistype.

Am I crazy? Maybe, actually. But that’s not the point of this column and I’m not crazy for thinking a cup of coffee equals a stay in Thailand.

That cup of coffee I gave-up before my 2009 trip around the world bought me a view of the river Kwai ( you know, the one with the famous bridge over it?) while sitting in a hammock and trapped in a green garden. Yep, all of that and my own room for just $2!

Now calculate your coffees for a week and that’s about $10 or a night in Santiago, Chile (or 5 in Thailand) and the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in.

But this column is more than comparing expenditure on coffee and the equivalent bedding you could find in a foreign country.

And in this column, I am not going to argue I am a some kind of personal finance guru. I can’t tell you about stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other boring financial instruments.

What I do know is we are in an economic crisis and people are struggling to stay afloat I always hear:

“How do you have any money left?”

“Ummm…uhh…”

I hate money questions, especially when they are about mine, but I can understand where this question comes from.

Visiting the bridge over the river Kwai!

Why? Well, I had just spent one year traveling around the world where the only income I had was from my somewhat weekly column to this paper.

Even with the year of travel expenditure, however, I had returned home with money in the bank.

Actually enough money to try my hand at my own business and even go out for dinner, which is where I sustained this very question.

Why am I writing about this now? Almost two years since I have returned from that mammoth trip?

Well it has everything to do with what travel can teach you about your economy and I don’t mean the mess of Bermuda’s (though maybe there could be a few lessons in here too!) And the real lesson I have to teach you is most succinctly phrased by the author of this week’s quote, Rolf Potts. His tip: Keep it Simple.

Before I traveled the world for a year, I kept it simple.

New clothes? Nope (or rarely). These were only bought for weddings or if the jeans were finally wearing out.

A house? No, there too. I shared an apartment with three girls and then rented an apartment on my own (which was a splurge,but I didn’t have a choice!). I still do not have a house, but that will be the next reason I keep it simple.

I brought lunch to work, gave-up purchasing coffee and rarely went out for dinner.

My biggest splurge was sun glasses and if I live on an Island then I need to protect my eyes!

These economic woes that the US felt first and now Bermuda is experiencing are down to one thing: excess. For some reason there is constantly an urge to have more than you need in material things and compete with those around you.

My attitude: who cares?! Why compete for the large mansion? Why not live within your means or invest in personal growth (schooling?)? Why invest in a big car rather than your own personal improvement?

And travel (i.e. not immersing yourself in a resort in any country, but actually visiting different countries) is all about personal investment. Want a story for the next dinner party that does not hinder around purchasing shoes or a new car? Take that shoe money and run to South America!

Which brings me to the second lesson I learned about keeping it simple: do it for travel too.  I never understand tourists who fly around the world to host themselves in a Hilton, Marriott or some other chain hotel.

Why? Because that is exactly what they are: chain, no identity hotels. They are not owned by the people who actually live in the country and they will never possess the ability to immerse you in the culture of Thailand, Chile or Mexico.

niagara falls!

Me? I prefer to stay in local joints. In Laos I stayed in a family-run affair and in Niagara-on-the-Lake I stayed in a Bed and Breakfast run by a local. At the B&B, the local, Joe, not only gave me tips on how to visit the area, but was also able to offer us local (not concierge) tips on where to eat.

I have never spent more than $200 on a hotel room and I can’t imagine why I ever would. The point of travel is personal growth. How will a resort that mimics your home country do that?

So….to wrap this up, perhaps we all need to take a tip from travel and learn to keep it simple and focus on personal investment, not superficial material investment.

Until next week…I hope you start to focus on improving you (and stop buying the $2 coffee for crying out loud, if you need to save money!!!)

Living near the CN Tower in Toronto

What do you know about your fellow traveler? Well for most of us we have been following our weekly blogger Nicola Arnold so we know a bit. But you others?

Well here you go. Her very own, “About Me” page. Where has she been? You just have to read and find out:

Last weekend, I met up with some university friends for dinner in downtown Toronto. That’s the great thing about being based in Toronto, now, – having attended a university one hour west of here, a lot of former school friends and housemates live in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area).

We work, study or live in/near the city, so it’s great to catch up on news & relive the good old days! One of the girls was my roommate from our first year of school. According to her, when I moved in to our dorm room I asked her which countries she had been to, to which she awkwardly replied, “Well, I haven’t travelled much… but I’ve been to Florida!”

Starting university, my travel experience was a little bit different (although I had been to Florida too!). I was fresh off a European travel whirlwind from my Rotary Youth Exchange year in France, where I had spent 10 months exploring not only northeastern France but also Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg which were all bordering the region of France where I was: Lorraine.

Say hello to Köln (Cologne), Germany

The “where have you travelled” question popped up again recently in my Toronto wanderings. I found myself talking to a representative at the Adventure Travel Company in downtown, where I was looking into several products they offer.

At his desk, the guy had an “About Me” page relating to his travels. It was a neat way to learn more about him, where he had travelled and where he hoped to go next!

So, I decided to mirror the “About Me” with my own travel experiences for this week’s post!

I’ve seen a lot so far, luckily… but there is so much more to conquer in the world.

Here it goes:

Title: Adventurer/Wanderer

Location: Toronto

Country count: 27 Countries visited: USA, Canada, Bermuda, England, Wales, Scotland, Sweden, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Vatican City, Monaco, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, South Africa, India, Japan

Favourite country: hmmm… France. 

Next trip in my dreams? The Maldives. Realistically? New York City

The Maldives.The Maldives in my dreams... one day!

I don’t travel without… a Swiss Army knife, a spork, a water bottle and toilet paper (hey, you never know).

I travel because… Bermuda is a rock in the ocean, there is so much more to explore in the world!

My favourite travel moments are… the spontaneous adventures with travel buddies, especially when the unexpected happens and you have much to laugh about.

Beware of dodgy people along your journeys (like her?! Nicola...for anyone who has not followed her posts!)

As an aside: If you find yourselves in the Canadian cities of Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver or Victoria… hunt down an Adventure Travel Company for more interesting travels, tours, and adventures!

The ATC offers many tours and excursions that are a great way to see the world. With slogans like “Epic Destinations. Epic Activities. Epic Hosts” and “It’s your life. It’s your adventure. What are you waiting for?” they seem to be experts in their field.]

In the words of Julius Caesar: Veni, Vidi, Vici!

Nothing like October leaves in Ontario

Tomorrow marks Canada’s Thanksgiving day and for Wanderer Nicola Arnold, it is also marks a new experience. As a Bermudian, Thanksgiving (at least the Canadian one) is not really celebrated. At least it’s not a public holiday!

So how is she going to celebrate? Here’s Nicola:

Whew, it’s here – the weekend. Here in Canada, we have extra reason to celebrate. It’s a long weekend: Thanksgiving!

Growing up in Bermuda, we tend to celebrate American Thanksgiving which falls on the fourth Thursday in November. As I attended a school on the American system, every November we’d whips out our crayons and colour in pictures of turkeys, pumpkins and pilgrims… high school was such great fun!! Ha ha, I mean grade 2, of course.

It was a quick switch coming to Canada. Thanksgiving in October? Before Halloween?! And if you are lucky… no early snow flurries. I’m very ucky to have had a true taste of autumn/fall/thanksgiving (affectionately referred to as T-gives, or Turkey Day) with different Canadian friends and their families.

Eight hour from Toronto to Northern Ontario: The drive to celebrate Thanksgiving with my friend's family 4yrs ago!

So far, friends have treated me to Thanksgiving activities such as:
- apple-picking in an orchard
- go-carting on a racetrack
- international student potluck dinner
- driving 8hrs north of Toronto to the boonies… I mean, northern Ontario (temp. only slightly above freezing)
- a long weekend in the Ottawa Valley (a hop, skip and jump from Quebec province)

When spending Thanksgiving in the Ottawa Valley... you can hop on over to Quebec to sit on a French-Canadian dock!

Here’s some trivia for you:

Trivia 1: While most Canadian provinces have a public holiday on the Monday of Thanksgiving, the provinces in Atlantic Canada including Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia do not regard Thanksgiving as having provincial holiday status.

Trivia 2: The Canadian Parliament proclaimed Thanksgiving as a holiday as of January 31, 1957, stating: “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.”

Who said pumpkin is just for pie?! Don't forget pumpkin spice ale and pumpkin ice cream... yum!

For now, I am off once again to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends. I’m going to throw Bermudian into the mix at my friend’s family gathering of Canadian/Scottish/Australian nationalities. Pumpkin pie, here I come!

Edward Monkton says it best every time

Our wanderer Nicola turns 25 today! What better way to celebrate her birthday then navigating the world of Nicola? Well she couldn’t think of one either so here is Robyn’s Wanderings wishing her a very special birthday and a quarter of a century of Nicola’s travels:

A quarter of a century has come & gone, my friends. For me, at least.

For the third year in a row, I celebrate my birthday in Toronto, Ontario. This weekend coincides with two other big events in Toronto and throughout Canada - Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche all-night art festival, and CIBC’s Run for the Cure.

Everyone is celebrating for one reason or another! Therefore, I deemed it appropriate to write 25 Things About Me. Birthday and travel-related, more or less.

1. I took my first flight at 4 months old and we moved to Bermuda… I slept the whole way
2. As a child, I was little enough to sleep on blankets on the floor below my family’s airplane seats on overnight flights.
3. I celebrated my 18th birthday in France, enjoying champagne and strawberry shortcake with my host family.
4. Two plastic figurines join me on travels: a California Raisin & Simba from the Lion King [Looking at that link for California Raisins, I found out that "Ben Indasun" is my toy!]
5. The first Broadway show that I ever saw was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
6. Katie and I saw snow for the first time when we were visiting family in England one Christmas.
7. My first winter sport experiences include 2 middle school ski trips to Colorado, and ice skating in Rockerfeller Center in NYC.
8. I saw the movie Lion King at the cinema in Africa, while spending a summer with my grandparents in Zimbabwe.
9. …Speaking of Disney, I’ve been to Disneyland California, Walt Disney World Florida, and Tokyo Disney… I have yet to conquer  Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland & Shanghai Disney!
10. While visiting Japan for 3 weeks, I rode bicycles, developed a love for corn chowder, and dressed up as a meiko for a day [The meiko blog link is very similar to my own experience. I wish I had photos to post of Japan, but sadly they are in Bermuda, tucked away in an album... I took 6 rolls of film on that trip!]
11. Once, I fell asleep in my soup at a hotel restaurant and my parents & sister have never let me live it down.
12. While taking a home-video at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Katie and I danced around singing “We are space aliens, we are space aliens”. Oh, the good old days!

If you are reading this sentence, then congratulations – you are almost halfway through the list!

Your birthday: a day when you are allowed to wear the crown.

13. On my 10th birthday, I open a cereal box (nice gift-wrapping!), and dug through it to find 2 plane tickets to Oklahoma. My best friend’s family had recently relocated there, so it was my dream trip. We kept in touched, reunited in Europe & Bermuda, and are still best buddies today!
14. My week-long high school French trip to Paris served as a taster for the 3 times I would live in France as a student – in Lorraine, in Paris, and in Savoie.
15. Both sets of my grandparents moved to Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) post-WWII – one half from Croatia, the other from England.
16. Give me a window seat on an airplane any day.
17. The top 3 countries that I’ve been to that hold a piece of my heart are: France, India and Greece.
18. The longest flight I have been on so far is 13hr from New York to Tokyo.
19. After graduating university, I was treated to a First Class, overnight flight – champagne included! [A rather big step-up from sleeping on the floor of the airplane seats... re: #2]
20. My dream islands to visit are the Maldives… one day, I hope.
21. My 21st birthday turned out to be an awesome surprise party, although I had planned to do homework that evening…
22. When we visit my grandmother in Croatia, we go for 6am walks including a morning swim in crystal-clear sea – much chillier than Bermuda waters.
23. … Despite my affinity for Croatia, I must hark back to my adoration for Greece. Islandy. Laid-back. European. And f-e-t-a! [In fact, I'm celebrating this weekend by going out for a Greek feast... OPA!]
24. Hurricane Felix hit Bermuda in 1995, and we got our dog shortly afterwards from the SPCA. We changed his name from Felix to Chipo.
25. Lastly: Katie and I share this birthday month (October 17th and 2nd, respectively), and we are family friends with two sisters in Bermuda who have eerily similar birthdays (October 17th and 1st). We were meant to be friends!

Here's for a sweet treat... or 6.

Who knows, perhaps if I eat my vegetables and walk everyday I will make it to 100. If we still write blogs 75 years from now, perhaps I can write my “100 best travel experiences”. For now, though, back to the cupcakes!

The sunshine came, it burnt, and now it's on its way out.

A Bermudian in Canada for the summer? Oh yes it is true. Our wanderer Nicola Arnold found herself not swizzling away her summer on a pink beach at home, but surviving Canada.

So how did she do it? Well here she is to tell her tale:

Labour Day Weekend? I guess that means it is time to tell you “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”… hmmm. Let’s spice it up a bit, shall we?!

Backtrack to summer for a minute – the warm, breezy months of laissez-faire attitude – what’s not to love? While we may no longer be walking around in itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie, yellow polka dot bikinis (or other such outfits that stave off the heatwave), the summer-lovin’ kids from Grease treated us to this back-to-school hit to remind us of our sweet summer nights. And speaking of that itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini… voila!

Summer 2011 was particularly interesting for me. Why? It was my first Canadian summer! Despite two getaway trips (to Boston and a family reunion that took me to Bermuda, South Africa & Croatia), I spent a good 3 out of 4 months here. I learnt that I can, indeed, pass a summer in Canada and live to tell the tale. Here goes…

11 Ways That I Survived (I Mean Enjoyed!) My Canadian** Summer:

1. Getaway for a weekend on Porter Airlines: A hop, skip and a jump away from downtown Toronto, Porter Airlines flights take-off from Toronto Island. Very quick & easy, as I jetted off to Boston for a long weekend in May to visit friends (several school friends from Bermuda, in fact). From Chicao to Halifax, Porter’s “fly refined” motto was definitely true, as who doesn’t like a leather airplane seat and a complimentary glass of wine?

A trip to Boston is not complete without tasting as many Dunkin' Donuts as possible!

2. Chill out for a day on the Toronto Islands: Whether you wish to hit the beach, rent bicycles or a boat, pack a picnic, or visit the children’s amusement park or the farm, you just need to jump on the ferry from Toronto Harbour. TheToronto Islands are far enough away from the city to exude peacefulness… provided you beat the rush of summer camps & birthday parties! Alas, my friend and I found two things out the hard way – make sure you have enough cash (no ATM), and do NOT forget the sunscreen.

3. Seek thrills at Canada’s Wonderland: Until this summer, I had never been able to enjoy the rides at Canada’s Wonderland, as it’s usually only open from May-October. I was delighted to go not once but twice this summer with different pals – and bonus, we got good deals! As it has been awhile since my last roller-coaster experience, I was not sure what to expect from myself:  Screamer? Eyes wide closed? Nope. My “oh-my-gosh-I-cannot-breathe-I’m-laughing-so-much” coaster reaction was a hit among my friends.

The Behemoth, guaranteed to make you scream, cry, gasp... or laugh!

4. Explore the Elora Gorge: Elora, a small town so close to Guelph yet so far… without one’s own car. I was able to convince my friend (with a lovable dog) to join me in exploring the Elora Gorge. The Grand River proved to be a fantastic place to walk said lovable dog, eat a picnic and watch the brave kayakers battle the rapids.

5. Canada Day… in London (?): Celebrated on July 1st, I thought this would be my first authentic Canada Day. Lo and behold, my Canada Day 2011 was indeed Canadian… but took place in London, England! On the journey back to Canada from my family reunion, we passed through London. While killing time before watching Les Misérables, we strolled to Trafalgar Square for some people-watching. It turns out there were a lot of people to watch… both Canadians & Londoners! From Sleeman beer tents to Tim Horton’s coffee & donuts stalls, it felt like I was in my (adopted) home away home.

6. Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games: As I mentioned in my kilt blog, I had the joy of attending the Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games in August with some family friends of bona fide Scottish descent. It was a superb round-up of highland games, dancing, taste-testing, and all-round jolly festivities. If only I had been brave enough to try haggis…

Great Scott!

7. Canoeing/kayaking the Speed River: While the rapids at Elora Gorge may be a tad too rapid for me, I persuaded several different friends to go canoeing at our local Speed River. A few had never canoed before, which made for some very entertaining trips – it appears that some people cannot steer & talk simultaneously… but the fun stems from rocking the boat!

8. BBQ/dining al fesco: Barbecuing is synonymous with summer. If it’s warm enough to fire up the grill, you might as well enjoy the balmy evenings. But on top of the BBQ, one thing that was a real treat (coming from Bermuda, where the weather is either summery or rainy, but never snowy), was the late spring/early summer patio season. Canadians hop outside to enjoy some sunshine and, voila, al fresco dining hits the ground running. ‘Tis glorious when it’s at last permissible to sit outside with a burger & beer!

9. Ribs, Rhythm & Rotary: For a finger-lickin’ good time, it’s worth a taste of Ribfest. If you desired, you could wind your way across the province for a summer full of Ontario Ribfests. Besides choosing our flavour of ribs and taste-testing each others choices, my friends and I were able to enjoy the car show, the children’s amusement rides and wash down the ribs with a trip to the beer tent, the ice-cream truck, or the lemonade stand. Don’t forget the lasso training. Yee-haw!

Hmm... so many ribs, such little space to put them!

10. Check out a dazzling Air Show: The city of Waterloo may be known for RIM’s Blackberry, but did you also know there is a Waterloo International Airport? I was invited to go to the Air Show with some friends and I happily accepted, as I have fond memories of air shows in Bermuda. We were dazzled by the talented Canadian Forces Snowbirds, fighter jets, parachute teams, and even witnessed an acrobatic plane land on top of a moving RV – stunning!

11. Mosquitoes x100: I survived my summer of mosquitoes. Instead of battling Bermudian cockroaches that fly right at you, the combat this summer was against blood-sucking mosquitoes. After a few failed attempts at lazing in the Arboretum due to the revenge of the mosquito, I realized that sunscreen plus bug repellent are summer must-haves in Canada. Ah, the sense of adventure!

(** in my case, Canadian = Southern Ontario)

So… “Did you miss Bermuda?”

Swizzle, I missed you this summer

Yes, some days I wished for Bermuda-style beaching & boating adventures, or a happy hour at Hamilton Princess overlooking the harbour. Instead, I chose to bring Bermuda to Canada: As you can buy Gosling’s Black Seal in Ontario, I introduced friends to some “makeshift” Dark ‘n Stormies. And I mean makeshift, as I ever so irritatingly left my case of Barritt’s Ginger Beer at the airport baggage claim. Solution? I had to taste-test several other “Caribbean-style” ginger beers… what a hardship! While all were incomparable to Barritt’s, one was sufficient enough to weather the Storm.

These past few months have been a treat. Even if summer is drawing to a close… there is no need to fall apart. Little by little, we will switch up our iced coffees for spiced chai lattes and enjoy the coziness of the autumn.